Winsted Town Clerk Sheila Sedlack swears in the new Winsted Board of Selectman. From left, Mayor Lisa Smith, Jorge Pimentel, Candace Bouchard, Daniel Langer, Robert Vogt, A. Candy Perez and George Closson. Perez, who along with Closson are the lone Democrats on the new board, was named second selectman.
Mercy Quaye—Register Citizen

WINSTED >> The newly elected board of selectmen was sworn in Wednesday morning during a special meeting held in the Lee Anna LaClaire room in Winchester Town Hall.

The board comprises two Democratic incumbents, Althea Candy Perez and George Closson, and five Republicans—Lisa Smith, Jorge Pimentel, Daniel Langer, Robert Vogt, and Candace Bouchard.

After Town Clerk Sheila Sedlack swore in all seven selectmen-elect, she took nominations for mayor and second selectman.

As her slate mates hinted on election night, Smith was nominated for mayor. The board unanimously voted to give her the position.

As the slate walked into the blue room, they were greeted by members of the public, Town Manager Dale Martin, Town Attorney Kevin Nelligan, Sedlack, and several candidates that did not win on election night.

When Sedlack took nominations for second selectman, Bouchard suggested Perez, and a look of complete surprise appeared on Perez’s face.

Perez said she walked into the meeting thinking the positions of mayor and second selectman would be taken by members of the Republican supermajority. She said usually the persons with the most and second highest number of votes of the majority party win those seats.

“This means they’re sincere in their word in terms of wanting to work together as a board,” she said. “I felt that my work is respected by them. I think if this board can hold this atmosphere for the next two years, I believe Winsted will be well on its way to being successful.”

After the board was sworn in, Smith took control of the meeting and made her first address to the public. Though she said she was jittery from the 27 cups of coffee she drank on election night, she gracefully made the town aware of her intentions for the board and town.

“Some of the things that I know we want to take care of right away are working with Dale and Robin and the town attorney to be updated on our current financial situation,” she said. “We need all of the players to be involved, and we need to all work together to look at cost reduction and objectives.”

Smith said she also intends to review all pending requests for the board and commissions. She said she and her board will attempt to set aside all party affiliations while appointing people to town boards.

“We just want good people to be on our boards and commission and work with the town,” she said.

The gesture of selecting the second selectman from a party other than the majority was a measure of good faith according to Smith. She said the gesture solidifies the party’s platform of working together.

“We ran on a campaign on working collectively with other members of the board of selectmen, board of education, Gilbert School, and the community,” she said. “It made only the right sense to us to nominate someone of the opposing party for second selectman because in order for us to move forward we have to start that partnership now.”

Smith said this was a decision that her slate discussed and agreed on prior to the meeting.

“It was something that we all agreed would work for the greater good,” she said. “Not for the board of selectmen, but for the town.”

Smith called this term a “year of firsts,” with Pimentel, 23, being the first Latino on the board and the youngest member to serve. She said it also sets a precedent having a first selectman and second selectman from opposing parties working together.

“I hope everyone can just leave the past behind,” Perez said. “There was a lot of pressure on Winsted from all sorts of places. So we have a lot of things that are part of what need to be addressed, and I’m optimistic from this morning that we will be able to do this.”

Smith said she’d like to schedule a special meeting as soon as possible to get the board educated on the town’s finances.

Advertisement

About the Author

Reporter Mercy Quaye covers statewide breaking news for The New Haven Register, The Middletown Press, and The Register Citizen. Reach the author at mquaye@registercitizen.com
or follow Mercy A. on Twitter: @Mrs_WriteNow.